


No More

by orphan_account



Category: Injustice: Gods Among Us
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bruce's One Bad Day, Evil Wins, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Murder, Out of Character, Regime Bruce Wayne, Regime Superman, Superman's One Bad Day, Vulnerability, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-07 17:23:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17964839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Two heartbeats. Two cities. Two men. One choice.





	1. Nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He couldn't hear anything.

     The Joker was talking. Bruce knew he was talking, could see his lips moving, but he couldn't hear him. He couldn't hear anything. That should be concerning, a little voice whispered. The man looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. Funny, he couldn't feel himself. Bad, the little voice was saying, that was bad. Why? He looked back up. The Joker's mouth was still moving, but he was frowning now. Gesturing at him, looking angry. Bruce blinked, staring at the man. Why? Why us? Why Metropolis? Why Goth- _No_. He couldn't think about that. About _them_. The questions refused to come, so Bruce sat in silence. He was almost glad he couldn't hear the madman's voice. The clown was standing now, pointing an accusing finger at him, when light suddenly flooded the room. Bruce was only dimly aware of rubble shooting past him, a flicker of bright red and blue catching his eye. The man turned slightly in his seat, watching as Superman strode past him. The Kryptonian swatted aside the table in front of him, and it was almost otherworldly to watch it silently shatter. The Joker was saying something, his lips peeling back in a wide grin. Superman reached for him, pulled the clown up out of his seat. There was something Bruce should be doing, he knew. Something he should be saying. He didn't move. The words never came. Superman drew a hand back, drove it through the clown's chest. Bruce felt something wet splatter across his cheek, but he couldn't look away from the two in front of him. Superman gripped the Joker's shoulder, pushed the man's body off his arm. Bruce watched as it slumped to the ground, red staining purple. A hand was on his shoulder, then, impossibly strong. He looked up, into Superman's eyes. Wrong, a little, distant voice screamed at him. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Superman was speaking, then, his mouth moving as he gestured down at the Joker. Still nothing. Bruce reached up, wiping his hand across his cheek. It came away red. He stared at it, watching as blood ran down his knuckles. The hand tightened on his shoulder, just enough to make him look back up. Superman was still speaking, but he couldn't... he couldn't hear him. He couldn't hear anything.


	2. My Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth came crashing down on him.

     He could feel it slowly rising. He knew he couldn't keep the scream silent for much longer. It had began the moment the Joker had looked at him, a grin on his face. It had stayed, when only muscle memory had kept him going, when he'd taken the Joker in for questioning. When Superman had crashed through the wall, when he had killed the clown. The scream from long ago, that threatened to creep into his throat as he'd retreated deep into the Hall of Justice. A single room, one out of the way- he'd gone in and hadn't left it. He couldn't leave it, now. Leaving would mean facing reality, facing the scream. He couldn't.

     "-world-wide ceasefire. All hostilities will stop immediately- or _I_ will stop them. _It's over_." The clip stopped, the reporter turning back to face the camera. Bruce blinked in the darkness, only vaguely aware of the door to his room opening. He didn't turn, just sat there as he watched the TV.  
      "I'll be honest," the woman said as she shook her head, "I'm not sure what to think of Superman's address to the world. On one hand, we-" Movement caught his eye, and Bruce watched as Superman reached down, taking the remote. After a moment of hesitation, the man turned the TV off, setting the remote aside as he sat down beside him. Neither of them spoke, and Bruce stared at the blank screen. The scream, it was building. Pushing up through his chest, tearing at his ribs.

     "I'm sorry," Superman quietly spoke. "I should have come sooner, but... but there were other things. Mirror Master, my _parents_ , I-" he trailed off, looking at Bruce. "Please, talk to me." Slowly, the man looked away from the screen, meeting his gaze.

     "Your parents," Bruce finally, hesitantly spoke. "They're... ok?" Superman gave a relieved smile, nodding.

     "We found them," he reassured the man. "I'm having them stay in the Fortress for now, they'll be safer there." Bruce couldn't keep looking at those earnest blue eyes, his gaze dropping to his lap.

     "I should have been there," he said, his hands clenching. "I should have helped you." The scream, it bubbled up, and the man's throat clicked when he swallowed. The couch cushions dipped, and he reluctantly looked up as Superman shifted closer. The dark haired man reached out, laying a hand on his back. He stiffened at the touch, but couldn't draw back. The scream, it clawed its way up his throat.

     "Bruce," Superman said, and that damned gentle tone forced Bruce to meet blue eyes again. " _I understand_." The scream, that treacherous thing, morphed into a sob when it finally broke free. His body shuddered, the man hunching in on himself as strong arms closed around him.

     "They're _dead_ ," he finally admitted to himself. "Everyone's dead! I _failed_ them!" He sucked a breath in, his eyes scrunching tightly shut. He would never see his family again. Never talk with Gordon. Never be able to walk the streets of Gotham. It was too much to comprehend. Everyone, everything, dead in seconds. Bruce could feel his world slipping, tilting dangerously off kilter. Gone. All gone. Because of one madman.

Because... because of him.

     "My fault," he told himself, his nails digging bloody grooves into his palms.

     "Bruce?" He felt Superman shift, his grip loosening as he drew back.

     "I did this," the man insisted, his face contorting in agony. "I had every chance to _stop_ him. But Batman has a _code_ ," he spat the word, his nails digging deeper. "And I didn't stop him, and now they're dead." He looked up at Clark. "I killed them," he whispered. For a moment, the Kryptonian didn't move. He sat there, staring at the man. Bruce took a breath, ready for rejection, for what he deserved for failing them all- And Clark reached out, tightly hugging him.

     "You're not responsible for this," he told him. "That madman is. _He_ did this, not you." The floodgates tore open, and Bruce gave a tight sob. "It's alright," the Kryptonian murmured, "he can't hurt anyone any more. And neither will the people like him," he continued, his shifting tone making Bruce look back up at him. "I meant what I said, Bruce. We can't ever let anything like that happen again." Superman looked down, meeting his gaze. "Come with me," he quietly insisted. "We can make sure that we never fail them again- we can make sure that they're _safe_." And Bruce.... Bruce hesitated. Thought of his sons, of Alfred. Gordon, and the others. Selina. He nodded.

     "Never again," he swore, and Clark smiled.


	3. Peace

     He tugged at the sleeves of his tux, frowning as he felt the creases in the fabric. If felt odd to be out of his armor, and he squinted in the sunlight.

     "Are you ready?" Lex asked, and Bruce looked back at Clark.

     "You're sure about this?" the Kryptonian asked as he finished buttoning his shirt, and the man nodded.

     "Yes," he said, "I think this is one of those jobs for Clark." Clark gave a small smile at that, and Bruce had to look away - it hadn't made it to his eyes. "Mr. Wayne?" He looked back up, meeting Luthor's gaze as the man tugged aside the curtain. "Show time." The bald man strode out onto the stage, and Bruce followed in his footsteps. They'd rehearsed for this, practiced until he was certain he could read his parts of the prepared speech in his sleep. The waiting crowd quieted at their appearance, and he looked out at a sea of faces. Raising his microphone, he began.

     "Ladies and gentlemen," he recited, "just over a month ago, the world was rocked by a terrible event. We lost Metropolis and Got-" The name caught in his throat, and Bruce's eyes dropped as he gripped the microphone tighter. He swallowed, looking back up at the massive crowd. He could do this. "Gotha- _Goth-_." His knuckles whitening on the microphone, he couldn't make himself meet Lex's eyes. They'd practiced for this! He'd practiced for this! Surely he could say a simple city name! It refused to come. He could see his family's faces so clearly. Blinking hard, he lowered the microphone. The man felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned, meeting Clark's understanding gaze. The Kryptonian held his other hand out, and Bruce gave it to him. Giving him a small smile, Clark looked out at the gathered masses.

     "Metropolis," he began, "Gotham. Two cities, millions of people, gone because of a single madman." He took a breath. "I know that our actions have scared some of you. That some disagree with what we've, _I've_ , done. But every action the League has taken is to prevent more events like Metropolis and Gotham from happening. I could have stopped it," he said, his voice going low. "I could have saved my family," he looked to Bruce, "saved Bruce's family, if only I'd done what needed to be done. But I didn't, and _everyone_ paid the price." His tone shifted, his voice picking back up. "Today is the day that I reaffirm to you the promise I made- _no more_! No one else will lose their families and friends to madmen, or useless, needless violence! Starting today," he gestured out towards the gathered people, "the League will live up to its founding ideals- we will put your lives, your safety, before all else!" He reached up, laying a hand on his heart. "Today I ask you, all of you, to stand with the Justice League! To make your voices heard, and tell everyone- no more!" He raised the microphone high, holding it in a clenched fist as the first responses of the those in the crowd made it to them.

     "-man! -erman! Superman! Superman! Superman!" As the chant grew louder, more joining in, Bruce looked at Clark. The man stood tall, firm and unwavering. And for the first time since Gotham's fall, Bruce felt hope.


End file.
